Page 47 of Taking Jenny (Planet Orhon #4)

The boom of ceremonial drums cut him off, announcing someone’s arrival.

Everyone turned as Justice strode into the ballroom, dressed majestically, and walked to the larger of the two thrones.

Once there, he turned and smiled at his guests, his eyes honing in on Mal, before they continued to scan the court.

“Friends!” he said, garnering everyone’s attention. “We have a first tonight. Let me introduce your Illiapol champion and human avatar, Jenny Hollinger.”

The massive doors opened behind us. I turned, and forgot how to breathe, completely mesmerized.

Jenny entered like a vision conjured from a dream, radiant and regal.

Her long, straightened blonde hair, streaked with blue, flowed down her shoulders and back like a silken cape.

The purple ballgown she wore shimmered in the light, but it split at the front to reveal fitted purple leather pants and boots beneath.

A glowing gauntlet braced her left forearm.

She wore makeup for the second time since I had met her, but this was far more dramatic. Indigo at the eyes and lips.

When she saw me and Mal, a ghost of a smile curved her lips.

She looked healthy and unharmed, and relief bloomed in my chest, followed by a trickle of unease. Something felt…off.

Jenny walked calmly up to Justice and knelt in front of him.

He smiled over her. “You have proven yourself worthy of a place in my court, Lady Hollinger.”

She inclined her head, poised and polished. “You are too kind, Ruler.”

Justice addressed the court once more. “As the first human to run and survive Illiapol, you shall henceforth be titled as the Prima, Lady Jenny Hollinger of Ladrille. Hero to humans, and the People’s Favored Lady. Hail, Prima!”

The court shouted back, “Hail, Prima! Hail, Prima! Hail, Prima!”

“You honor me, Ruler,” she said firmly, yet respectfully.

“Yes, I do,” he said, as he seated himself. “Join me.”

Jenny stood then sat on the golden throne next to Justice.

A stunned gasp rippled through the ballroom. I didn’t know who they expected to sit there, since Justice’s consort, Aphonic, was still ill, but the boldness of it made even me uncomfortable.

Mal stiffened beside me, his jaw clenched tight.

Justice clapped his hands once. “Music. Dancing. Now.”

The band started up. People danced, as servants delivered banwine. Discord and Longshot drifted off to dance, but Surge had vanished off to somewhere. I would have danced too, but my eyes were locked on Jenny.

She laughed at something Justice said to her, their heads tilted together like they were longtime friends. It was so unlike Jenny, considering her contempt for the other man.

Mal glowered at them from against the wall, so I joined him. “Why are you here by yourself?”

He didn’t answer immediately, just tilted his chin toward the thrones. “That.”

I followed his gaze back to the pair. “It is strange, but I don’t know how things go here after Illiapol.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression troubled. “Not like that, I can assure you.”

“What do you think is going on?”

“I’m not sure. Particularly after what Longshot said about what he saw and heard at the end of the trial. That Justice let her cross the finish line and win.”

I frowned and grabbed two banwines for us from a passing servant. Mal drank his in one shot, then set the empty glass on a windowsill.

My gaze went back to Jenny. “She looks good,” I said.

“Too good.”

“How do you mean?”

“When I saw her on the path, she was injured, bumps and scrapes and bruises, mostly. Her skin was sallow, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Now…” He exhaled hard. “She looks incredible. Like a fucking vision.”

I wasn’t following. “And that’s bad?”

“She’s been cleaned up. Mostly likely healed by a palace magician. She’s dressed to dazzle and it’s not just for appearances. He’s made her into a pawn. Just like Silence.”

I choked on my banwine. In all the craziness, I had forgotten once again that Mal didn’t know Silence was still alive. And that he had once been betrothed to her.

“Uh, how so?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“Anyone at the top of their game is a target, Tiger, and targets are often used as pawns by Justice.” Something in his expression turned brittle. “Did you know I was supposed to unite with Silence?”

I choked on my banwine again, worse the second time. I didn’t know how else to react, and I would not break Discord’s confidence. Mal rubbed my back until I could breathe again.

He continued. “Silence had always been predisposed to me, until Valor came around.”

“But she was betrothed to Deacon Ladrang, how—”

“That was a ploy by Justice to keep Valor distracted. Justice wants to develop a mine on some islands in the south, and those islands are owned by Valor’s wife’s family, the Sellacs.

They refused to sell their ancestral islands to Justice, so he wanted to destroy the Sellacs and take the islands for himself.

First thing to do was distract Valor by waving Silence around as a suitable consort for Deacon. ”

Confusion wrapped around me. “But Justice rules all of Orhon. Couldn’t he just make them do it?”

“He rules, but he does so through the strength of the bonds of his allies. No ruler can rule without friends, or in his case, some friends and many enemies, who want your favor. The Sellacs are an old, proud family with many allies around Orhon, Halla, the Outers…they could have made his life difficult. Worse than difficult, when Valor became involved. A high-ranking general, backed by an influential family is too much of a threat, so Justice held Silence out as a preemptive peace bargain. Valor thought he was being rewarded for his military service by getting a princess for his son, but Justice was really just showing him something shiny, while he positioned himself to make his move.”

“That’s disgusting.” I shook my head in shock. “Were you in love with her?”

“No. Not at all,” he said, and I could hear the truth in his tone as his gaze remained on the occupants of the thrones.

“I cared for Silence, but that was only because she was one of the few kind people here in the palace. She had a tender heart. Too tender to be with someone like me. And I am too harsh to be with someone like her.”

He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at me.

“It would have been cruel for me to unite with her, and truth be told, I was searching for a way out of it before news of her pregnancy reached my ears. But that does not change the fact that we were betrothed, so I feel—felt—responsible for her in some way. I’m not sure that makes sense—”

“I get it,” I said. “You didn’t want her, but you wanted her to be happy.”

“Precisely,” he said, before his voice thickened with bitterness.

“When Justice found out about her pregnancy, his attentions shifted away from the Sellac’s islands.

Valor Ladrang is the worst thing to happen to the Bateens since Justice got a modicum of power.

The philanderer . It’s his fault Silence is dead. ”

My body tensed as I fought the urge to defend Valor. But Mal didn’t know him. He didn’t know any of the real details about what had happened and I tried not to snap at him.

But he noticed the way I’d stiffened. “I know he’s your true employer’s father, but he’s still a bastard for what he did to Silence.

I understand the urge to defend him, though.

It is neither here, nor there.” He took my banwine from me and finished the rest before setting my glass next to his on the window sill.

“We should enjoy the party for tonight. Have one good evening before Justice makes his move on Jenny.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Aside from myself and Justice, the entire royal council is dead,” he said in a flat tone.

“He has throned, and is laughing with, the woman who is legally responsible for their deaths. The woman who he let walk across the finish line after slaying those men. Do you honestly believe that debt won’t come due? ”